The pandemic outbreak of COVID-19 is leaving a mark on the 21st century, in a similar fashion as notorious outbreaks of poliomyelitis, smallpox, measles, the so-called Spanish flu, and AIDS have shaped (and is still shaping, for the latter) their times.
The past four decades have seen declining numbers of infections for those viral diseases for which a vaccine is available, like measles and poliomyelitis. Smallpox was even completely eradicated in 1980, as a result of globally coordinated mass-vaccination campaigns.
As several vaccines for COVID-19 are in their latest stage of clinical testing and the release of one (or more) of them appears as very likely by the first quarter of 2021, the question is how and how fast the vaccine will contrast the pandemic spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
For a deeper insight, download our COVID-19: steps towards the vaccine report.
Viral diseases: Introduction and overview
- Definitions: endemic, epidemic, and pandemic
- Comparison of selected viral diseases
Viral diseases: Spread and mortality - Spanish flu
- Smallpox
- Polio
- AIDS
- COVID-19
Vaccines - Development and approval process
- Global vaccine production and distribution
- Immunization levels of selected diseases
- Trust in vaccines
COVID-19, phase-out scenarios- Vaccine production capacity
- Vulnerable world population
- Vaccine supply chain
- COVID-19 vaccine – scenario analysis
Conclusion and outlook 
